This invention relates to clothing worn by a surgeon or other medical practitioner in an operating room or other surgical environment. Specifically, the invention includes a multi-component series of specially constructed garments including scrub pants, a tunic and, over both, a surgical gown. Each of the three components is constructed of specific materials that are selected based upon the surgical procedure involved, primarily the time required for the procedure, as well as other medical considerations.
Reusable surgical gowns and drapes have traditionally been made of cotton or a cotton/polyester blend having a high thread count, such as 140-thread count per square inch for cotton muslin up to 240 to 280 threads per square inch for tighter woven pima cotton. Higher thread counts afford smaller interstices between the threads. These reusable woven materials are washed, sterilized, usually by autoclaving in steam, and wrapped in a sterile package to retain sterility until use. After use, the reusable gown is recycled by again washing, autoclaving, sterile wrapping, etc. Multiple use garments for medical applications require careful washing and sterilization because of the concern for potential contamination from one procedure and event to the next. Thus, single use disposable garments, particularly for medical applications, have been well received.
Prior proposals for surgical gowns and drapes include a three-component laminate as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,026 composed of a knit cotton layer and a polyester continuous filament outer layer with an expanded yet breathable PTFE film interposed between the two. The expanded PTFE film laminated between the two fibrous layers is said to impart breathability to the composite, but nothing is mentioned about the effect, if any, upon bacteria or other pathogens.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,139 describes a one piece non-woven bacterial barrier material in which a small cell foam is placed within the non-woven substrate to define a bacterial barrier. Absorbent microbiocidal fabrics are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,408,996; 4,414,268; 4,395,454 and 4,425,327. These patents describe surgical drapes that have an absorbent, highly-wettable, bioactive surface made of a non-cellulosic substrate with a non-leachable, bioactive compound fixed to the substrate. Non-woven fabrics treated to repel water, saline solution, body fluids and solvents are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,411,928 and 4,467,013. The non-woven fabric is provided with a bioactive finish, and the fabrics so-produced are described as useful for the construction of surgeon's gowns, medical drapes, isolation gowns, instrument wraps and the like.
To our knowledge, the art does not describe a system of multiple garments to be worn in the operating room or area of other surgical procedure that will protect the patient from the aerial dispersion of pathogens from the personnel in the operating room, yet remain comfortable for the medical practitioner to wear, especially for extended periods of time for those procedures during which the garments are worn for several hours. At least one garment of our invention is provided with bacteriostatic barrier panels strategically placed at those portions of the garment most likely to permit bacterial release, yet the barrier panels remains durable, comfortable and effective to resist wet bacterial strike through. Preferably, all of the garments are provided with a bacteriostatic finish that is substantive on the fabric and confers antibacterial properties to each of the garments. The garments are constructed in such a way as to contain pathogens originating from the wearer in those areas of the garment most likely to cause concern as well as to prevent, to the extent possible, airborne bacteria from escaping below the garments.